1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a book rack, and more particularly, an adjustable, portable book rack adapted to be knocked down for storage and/or shipping.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art is replete with book racks provided with adjustable bookends slidable in an upright condition along a base for adjusting the width between the bookends to support a plurality of books. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,891,420 illustrates a pair of bookends, each of which is provided with a flange which is slidable along the base of the rack. Because of the various adjustment features of the prior art book racks wherein the bookends slide relative to each other on a base, the book racks contain bookends which are incapable of being knocked down to a flat condition, substantially coplanar with the base, for compact shipment or storage.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,063,567 is the only prior art book rack known to the Applicant which contains bookends which are slidable relative to each other on the base of the book rack to adjust the distance therebetween and which can be pivoted to a substantially flat position within the interior of the base for shipment or storage. In order to accomplish this, the patentee forms both the base and bookends from wire. The lower wire cross rod of each bookend is bent back upon itself at its opposite ends to form a substantially C-shaped flange which pivotably engages one of the parallel outer wire rods of the base so as to be able to pivot the bookend to a flat condition, while upon tilting of the bookend it can slide on the base to relatively adjust the distance from the other bookend. Friction sleeves are provided at the end of the C-shaped flanges for frictionally engaging the wire rods when the bookends are in an upright condition. While the book rack disclosed contains the desirable functional characteristics of adjustability and collapsibility, it is of necessity flimsy and unattractive because of the necessity of forming the book rack from wire members to achieve the noted results.
The present invention provides a book rack which is both adjustable and collapsible, but because of the manner in which it is constructed to achieve these results, it can be fabricated to have an attractive appearance and sturdy configuration.